Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has strongly criticised Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku over his comments regarding the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad,” describing the remarks as inappropriate and dismissive of historical and linguistic realities.
The party’s Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Central Publicity and Media Department Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair issued a statement on Sunday expressing concern and formally protesting the minister’s remarks, which were made during a discussion marking International Mother Language Day.
In the statement, Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said the minister’s position amounted to rejecting widely accepted historical and social contexts in which the slogan has been used for decades across political movements, independence struggles and campaigns for democratic rights in the subcontinent.
He argued that although the word “Inquilab” has Arabic roots, it has become part of political discourse through long-standing public usage.
He emphasised that language evolves over time and incorporates words from diverse linguistic sources, including indigenous languages as well as Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Portuguese and English.
Zubair added that branding a term as “anti-Bangla” solely based on its origin contradicts basic linguistic principles.
He further said attempts to create division or polarisation over language issues are not appropriate for responsible public officials.
The statement called for sensitivity and caution when addressing matters related to language, identity and national sentiment.
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